It's been 6 weeks already... .
I am writing now just after getting back from my 6 weeks check-up at the OB/GYN. Everything is okay with me, I have to wait another 6 weeks for my birth control, I am getting the Mirena IUD put in, but will probably do that right after we get back from the US (in November). But I just look back at the last 6 weeks and I am amazed at how things have gone. I am gonna try to post how things have gone for me and my feelings on it. And I promise I'll follow up with a few recent pics of me and Tony so you guys can see how he's grown since.
On August 2nd I had an appointment at the Gyno to see how things were going. I was 38 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I had been having problems with my intracranial pressure and once there had to be seen and was admitted to the hospital straight away. On the 3rd they talked to me and wanted the Neuro and other doctors to see me before they decided on a plan of action. My doctor came to me late that afternoon saying that the only recommended course of action for the pressure was to get the baby out because they couldn't treat me as long as I was still pregnant. So they were going to induce on me on August 4th in the early morning. I was shaking with excitement and fear as I called Remco and told him that we were going to be parents that week. He had to come to the hospital super early that Thursday morning. I didn't sleep hardly at all the night before.
On Thursday morning at 7:00 AM I was transferred to a room in the L&D Ward and then we had breakfast and coffee. (YAY for eating in the Netherlands!!). At 08.00 they started the monitors and then broke my water and started the internal monitor for Tony. At the same time they tried to start my IV, but after two attempts decided to have them do it when they took me down to have the epidural started. At 9.00 they took me down for the epidural, but first they started the IV in my hand. (I hate IV's in my hand, but whatever, at least it was in.) and then they started the epidural. I am impressed to say the epidural didn't bother me at all. (I guess this is from having so many spinal taps!) and then we went back up to my room. When we had to go get the epidural Remco had to put on one of the ugly green covers for his clothes, I had to laugh, I wish I had gotten a picture of it! I had the best nurses and doctor's assistant that day (He was cute too, curly blonde hair is what I seem to remember the most..) Then at 10.00 they started the oxytocin drip and at this point I was dialated to 2-3 cms with a soft cervix. Then Remco and I settled in for the long wait. But during this time I was able to impress the doctors with my ability to still move and to push my butt up so they could change the pad underneath me. (I think the desire to keep moving helped me be able to move so soon after delivery!)
At 12.00 we got to have lunch and when they checked me again, they upped the Oxytocin drip and I was dilated to 3-4 cms at this point. And so then we waited some more. They had to come in and change the epidural out and give me another bag of fluids. But also by this point when they checked my temp I had started running a fever. So they advised they were going to have to give me antibiotics prior to delivery and I told them I couldn't have any antibiotics within the tetrecycline family (all due to the Intracranial Hypertension.). And into the evening time, we were advised Tony would have to end up in the children's ward to be observed because he was having some skipped beats on the monitor. I had heard it already, so it comforted me that they had noticed it too. I was fearful, but knew that being induced could stress out the baby. Then came dinner time, and the nurse was shocked that I wanted to eat... Of course I did, I was starving!! But after eating, we settled in for the night and Remco had said when we found out that I was pregnant that the baby'd be born on August 5th. So on the 4th I was sort wondering if he'd be right.. Eh.. I'd never live it down if he was :P. But anyway,
So things continued and I was dilating 1 cm every 2 hours which was a reasonable pace for the doctors, and during the time they had to increase the meds for the epidural because I was starting to feel pain... But it was drawing near then at 11.00 PM I started to feel the urge to push and of course the doctors wanted the baby as low in the vaginal canal as possible, so while I was laying there fighting against the feeling to go poo I was quite miserable, but was able to time them for every minute or two minutes.. I had to be on my side because being on my back was miserable.. at 11.45 the nurse came in to check on me and told us we wouldn't be having the baby on the 4th :P So Remco got his date right. So we had to wait 30 minutes on the doctor because every woman was having a baby then it felt like! Then at 12.15 my doctor came into the room and told me it was time to start pushing... So after 10 minutes of pushing the baby was out.. It was the weirdest feeling it felt like, I was there pushing and when I tired out, I had to wait for the urge to come back and I was so scared it was going to hurt once he came out, but I don't remember having any pain. Then I started bawling and the only thing I could say was he is so small. (I expected to have a bigger baby, but I am definitely glad that he is the size he was!) and the placenta was out in one push a minute later.. Apparently I was already getting a reputation with the nursing staff. Then Tony was out and that was the craziest feeling I ever had was looking at him and seeing that he was really here.
After he was born and the nurse filled in all the paperwork, she came and gave me my bath.. Remco had walked down with Tony to the ward to be put on observation for his heart. He came back up to me just as she was finishing the bath and at that point it was time to put my clothes back on and the nurse asked me if I could do it myself.. I said sure.. And when she walked out of the room to get rid of the water I stood up and got dressed.. Heh.. It was a great feeling to be able to walk so soon after the delivery. And thanks to Remco once they got us settled into our room I was able to go down to the childrens ward and see Tony officially. It was a grueling two days for us before we were able to come home, but I am never so grateful to know that everything with Tony was okay and that his heart and lungs were in perfect condition.
The first week home was fantastic thanks to Louise from BbyZorg, she was our kraamvergorgster and thanks to her I was able to breastfeed instead of going the formula route. She was amazing and the experience was fantastic! I am so glad I had them!
And since then, we've had our ups and downs as first time parents,I think that it makes it easier for us because Tony isn't really the first baby that I have raised. I am grateful for the experience I got taking care of so many little ones when I was just a teenager. But its been an amazing journey and I absolutely love being able to cuddle him to me and to see that he is growing because of me and that he has relied solely on my body basically since conception to be cared for and receive his nutrition. I don't feel like in essence who I am has changed, but I do know my ability to love has grown, because I never knew I could feel this way. And each day it grows, and I couldn't imagine life without him or how it has become...
I am just ready to get back to the work force so that way life can be normal with all 3 of us and that we have a routine. Right now its just every day do as we want, some days he is absolutely amazing and eats every 2-3 hours and takes a long nap, other days he wants to eat every 1-2 hours and of course because we are home with not much to do, I let him. :)
But being a mommy has me doing things I never thought I would do, but oh well, he's only little once and we'll deal with what we are doing once it comes time and he's older...
On August 2nd I had an appointment at the Gyno to see how things were going. I was 38 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I had been having problems with my intracranial pressure and once there had to be seen and was admitted to the hospital straight away. On the 3rd they talked to me and wanted the Neuro and other doctors to see me before they decided on a plan of action. My doctor came to me late that afternoon saying that the only recommended course of action for the pressure was to get the baby out because they couldn't treat me as long as I was still pregnant. So they were going to induce on me on August 4th in the early morning. I was shaking with excitement and fear as I called Remco and told him that we were going to be parents that week. He had to come to the hospital super early that Thursday morning. I didn't sleep hardly at all the night before.
On Thursday morning at 7:00 AM I was transferred to a room in the L&D Ward and then we had breakfast and coffee. (YAY for eating in the Netherlands!!). At 08.00 they started the monitors and then broke my water and started the internal monitor for Tony. At the same time they tried to start my IV, but after two attempts decided to have them do it when they took me down to have the epidural started. At 9.00 they took me down for the epidural, but first they started the IV in my hand. (I hate IV's in my hand, but whatever, at least it was in.) and then they started the epidural. I am impressed to say the epidural didn't bother me at all. (I guess this is from having so many spinal taps!) and then we went back up to my room. When we had to go get the epidural Remco had to put on one of the ugly green covers for his clothes, I had to laugh, I wish I had gotten a picture of it! I had the best nurses and doctor's assistant that day (He was cute too, curly blonde hair is what I seem to remember the most..) Then at 10.00 they started the oxytocin drip and at this point I was dialated to 2-3 cms with a soft cervix. Then Remco and I settled in for the long wait. But during this time I was able to impress the doctors with my ability to still move and to push my butt up so they could change the pad underneath me. (I think the desire to keep moving helped me be able to move so soon after delivery!)
At 12.00 we got to have lunch and when they checked me again, they upped the Oxytocin drip and I was dilated to 3-4 cms at this point. And so then we waited some more. They had to come in and change the epidural out and give me another bag of fluids. But also by this point when they checked my temp I had started running a fever. So they advised they were going to have to give me antibiotics prior to delivery and I told them I couldn't have any antibiotics within the tetrecycline family (all due to the Intracranial Hypertension.). And into the evening time, we were advised Tony would have to end up in the children's ward to be observed because he was having some skipped beats on the monitor. I had heard it already, so it comforted me that they had noticed it too. I was fearful, but knew that being induced could stress out the baby. Then came dinner time, and the nurse was shocked that I wanted to eat... Of course I did, I was starving!! But after eating, we settled in for the night and Remco had said when we found out that I was pregnant that the baby'd be born on August 5th. So on the 4th I was sort wondering if he'd be right.. Eh.. I'd never live it down if he was :P. But anyway,
So things continued and I was dilating 1 cm every 2 hours which was a reasonable pace for the doctors, and during the time they had to increase the meds for the epidural because I was starting to feel pain... But it was drawing near then at 11.00 PM I started to feel the urge to push and of course the doctors wanted the baby as low in the vaginal canal as possible, so while I was laying there fighting against the feeling to go poo I was quite miserable, but was able to time them for every minute or two minutes.. I had to be on my side because being on my back was miserable.. at 11.45 the nurse came in to check on me and told us we wouldn't be having the baby on the 4th :P So Remco got his date right. So we had to wait 30 minutes on the doctor because every woman was having a baby then it felt like! Then at 12.15 my doctor came into the room and told me it was time to start pushing... So after 10 minutes of pushing the baby was out.. It was the weirdest feeling it felt like, I was there pushing and when I tired out, I had to wait for the urge to come back and I was so scared it was going to hurt once he came out, but I don't remember having any pain. Then I started bawling and the only thing I could say was he is so small. (I expected to have a bigger baby, but I am definitely glad that he is the size he was!) and the placenta was out in one push a minute later.. Apparently I was already getting a reputation with the nursing staff. Then Tony was out and that was the craziest feeling I ever had was looking at him and seeing that he was really here.
After he was born and the nurse filled in all the paperwork, she came and gave me my bath.. Remco had walked down with Tony to the ward to be put on observation for his heart. He came back up to me just as she was finishing the bath and at that point it was time to put my clothes back on and the nurse asked me if I could do it myself.. I said sure.. And when she walked out of the room to get rid of the water I stood up and got dressed.. Heh.. It was a great feeling to be able to walk so soon after the delivery. And thanks to Remco once they got us settled into our room I was able to go down to the childrens ward and see Tony officially. It was a grueling two days for us before we were able to come home, but I am never so grateful to know that everything with Tony was okay and that his heart and lungs were in perfect condition.
The first week home was fantastic thanks to Louise from BbyZorg, she was our kraamvergorgster and thanks to her I was able to breastfeed instead of going the formula route. She was amazing and the experience was fantastic! I am so glad I had them!
And since then, we've had our ups and downs as first time parents,I think that it makes it easier for us because Tony isn't really the first baby that I have raised. I am grateful for the experience I got taking care of so many little ones when I was just a teenager. But its been an amazing journey and I absolutely love being able to cuddle him to me and to see that he is growing because of me and that he has relied solely on my body basically since conception to be cared for and receive his nutrition. I don't feel like in essence who I am has changed, but I do know my ability to love has grown, because I never knew I could feel this way. And each day it grows, and I couldn't imagine life without him or how it has become...
I am just ready to get back to the work force so that way life can be normal with all 3 of us and that we have a routine. Right now its just every day do as we want, some days he is absolutely amazing and eats every 2-3 hours and takes a long nap, other days he wants to eat every 1-2 hours and of course because we are home with not much to do, I let him. :)
But being a mommy has me doing things I never thought I would do, but oh well, he's only little once and we'll deal with what we are doing once it comes time and he's older...